


Lavender's blue

by setaxis



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Character Study, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I Don't Even Know, M/M, relationship is minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 19:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6022410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setaxis/pseuds/setaxis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyungsoo overhears something he shouldn't have heard - a secret Sehun never meant to reveal. But he can't regret it, not when it leads to bringing the two maknaes closer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lavender's blue

**Author's Note:**

> OKay so basically this has been hanging around in my WIPs for far too long and I just want it finished and out of the way. It was originally inspired how everyone keeps banging on about how talentless Sehun is and by how much that pissed me off.
> 
> A bit of a mess, but hope you enjoy anyway.

Kyungsoo doesn’t know why he seems to be the butt of some kind of cosmic joke, but somehow these big eyes of his manage to keep seeing things he’s not meant to see. He’s not crazy. He’s not one of those weirdoes that claim they can see ghosts or auras or anything like that, mainly because he can’t actually see any of those things. No, Kyungsoo just seems to have been born with the woeful knack of being in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time and let’s just say there’s things he’s privy to that he really could have lived his life without being privy to, like being witness to the moment when Baekhyun and Chanyeol finally sorted their shit out.

It was both heart-warming and mentally scarring.

But that’s a story for another day.

Xxx

It’s not unusual to see Jongin and Sehun curled around each other to sleep (on the couch, in the back of the van, on the floor of the studio after rehearsals) but this is the first time Kyungsoo’s seen them sleeping together in an actual bed. Sehun must have snuck in while Kyungsoo was still asleep. Jongin curls protectively round Sehun even though it has to be awkward because Sehun’s been slightly taller than him for a good six months now and he must have a face full of hair.

“Couldn’t sleep?” He hears Jongin whisper.

“Cold.” Sehun says.

Jongin hums in response.

“You did well today. Hyung definitely seemed to think so.”

“You know I hate it when he does that.”

“You really need to learn to take a compliment.”

“Even when I don’t deserve it?” Sehun asks softly.

“Sehun…”

“It’s okay, Jonginnie. Everyone knows there’s only one reason I’m in this group, and it isn’t my dancing.”

“Nobody thinks that.” Jongin pauses, “I definitely don’t think that.”

“I never expected…”Sehun trails off. “I didn’t think they’d let me.”

“Let you do what?” Jongin’s voice is laced with sleepy confusion and Kyungsoo thinks it’s cute.  
Sehun doesn’t answer.

“Let you do what?” Jongin suddenly sounds more awake. “Sehun?”

Sehun says nothing, just buries his head further into Jongin’s shoulder and silence stretches across the room, stiflingly heavy.

“Debut.” Jongin says at last. His voice is strained. “You didn’t think they’d let you debut.”

Kyunsoo’s eyes widen as he makes out the shape of Sehun’s head bobbing in the darkness, still pressed against Jongin’s skin.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jongin sounds hurt.

“’Cause I didn’t want you to know, perhaps?”

“But why?”

“It doesn’t matter. I debuted didn’t I?” Sehun says shortly.

Jongin makes this frustrated noise. “Of course it matters. We’re best friends. You’re not allowed to not tell me these things.”

At this point, based on Jongin and Sehun’s everyday interactions, Kyungsoo is expecting to hear some snarky comment about Jongin being on his man-period, but it never comes.

“I’m sorry.” Sehun mutters softly. “You were just so excited, going on and on about us debuting together and being in the same group and I just couldn’t tell you. And then we debuted and I could practically hear you telling me ‘I told you so!’ and I didn’t think it mattered anymore.” There’s a pause. “I’m pretty stupid, huh?”

“I told you to stop calling yourself that, dickbag.”

“Hey, is that how you comfort people?” The sound of a pillow thumping against someone’s head.

“Only when they’re you.”

Kyungsoo feels horrified but Sehun just gives one of his breathy laughs – the one where his eyes scrunch up into happy crescents and he looks like a character from a manhwa.

“Can I go back to sleep now?” Jongin murmurs, sounding half-asleep already.

“Only if you don’t hog the covers like last time.”

Jongin grumbles something suspiciously like “Whose bed is it again?” and Sehun mumbles something back that might equally have been thank you or fuck you. There’s some shuffling and snuffling as the two maknaes get comfortable and then all is silence.

Kyungsoo lets out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. It takes him a long time to get to sleep that night.

Xxx

After hearing that particular revelation a lot of things started to make a lot more sense.  
The first, and probably most important, was this:

There was a time when Jongin had seemed very intimidating. Aside from being incredibly good-looking, he was insanely talented – he was hailed as SM’s next dancing machine and it was clear to anyone with eyes why. He could rap and could more than hold a tune, even if his voice wasn’t mind-blowing like Jongdae’s, and, on top of all that, he was best friends with SHINee’s Taemin. 

It was easy to see why many thought of him not only as competition, but the competition. And to almost all of the trainees that’s all Jongin was: a bar to measure themselves against. He was very rarely spoken to. After all, who talks to a yardstick?

(Answer: Oh Sehun. But he always was a weird one.)

At the time Kyungsoo had thought nothing of it. He had been new to the company and hadn’t really known anything about anyone. He’d just assumed that Jongin and Sehun had a lot in common. After all they’d both been trainees a lot longer than he had, they were the same age, they were both dancers.

(But Joonmyun had been a trainee longer than almost anyone and he too had kept his distance. Even Chanyeol, who is very friendly and good friends with Sehun besides, gave Jongin a wide berth.)

Everyone had except Sehun. Apparently not because he saw Jongin as an equal but rather because he had never believed himself to be in the running in the first place.

It feels like a punch in the gut.

Sehun is not a bad kid (and yeah, maybe Kyungsoo’s only a year older but it feels like so much more than that). He may be mischievous and tricksy and more than a little bit silly (especially when paired with Jongin or, god forbid, Chanyeol) but he has a good heart. He works hard. He never complains about the long hours or lack of sleep or complete absence of privacy. (there’s plenty of other things he finds to whine about, but those aren’t one of them.) Much like Jongin, he’s really just an oversized kid.

A kid who can’t see that he’s worth more than his face.

Yeah, Sehun is handsome. This is an undeniable fact. The times they’d been asked to rank themselves on variety shows proves that it’s not just Kyungsoo saying that either – it doesn’t matter who’s doing it, Sehun’s always going to end up near the top of the list (and considering that even the bottom of that list is pretty damn fine that’s saying something).

It’s definitely not a bad thing being good-looking, especially in an industry like theirs, and Kyungsoo’d be lying if he said he didn’t think the big bosses upstairs took that into account because duh, their livelihoods are mostly dependent on the power of the hormones of teenage girls. And Sehun certainly is good-looking, even with rainbow-vomit hair or a bowlcut that looked like it’d crawled out of someone’s middle school photo or curtains circa bad 90s boybands. (Life is so unfair…)

Joking aside, Kyungsoo doesn’t begrudge him that. You can’t help the face you’re born with and he’s more than happy with his own, thank you very much, even if his eyes do sometimes look as if they’re trying to escape the rest of his face. He doesn’t believe in being envious. It’s a waste of energy.

He also does not believe for a second that the only reason Sehun is in this group is his face. It’s definitely one of the reasons, but the only reason? Not a chance. SM is too cunning for that. Above all, Sehun is the maknae, the group-maker. Everyone knows that the maknae’s a big factor in a group’s popularity and there is no way SM would risk something like that on just another pretty face. Nuh uh. No way in hell.

He feels a little bit cynical for thinking like this. They only debuted three years ago and already he sounds like the industry has keel-hauled his soul.

Besides, he likes Sehun. He could list all the technical things like dancing and rapping and performance but it’s really much more simple than that.

Sehun is just Sehun.

He hates deliberate aegyo and has no qualms about letting everybody know even though it’s really a maknae’s territory and he should have been prepared to cart out the ‘gwiyomi’ at any and every opportunity. Then he does something adorable without even meaning to and has everyone falling for him.

But that’s Sehun all over. Sehun doesn’t do things he doesn’t want to do and he doesn’t pretend to like things (or people) he doesn’t. He’ll tell you when you’re pissing him off and he sure as hell won’t mince words about the why but he doesn’t hold grudges either. When he’s happy he’s happy and when he’s not he’s not and that’s that. Sehun just is. He’s real.

Xxx

Kyungsoo has seen (and heard) many things that he shouldn’t have. Sometimes the people he’s accidentally spied on know he’s there and sometimes they don’t, but this is the first time he’s actually wanted to come clean, to talk about what he’s heard. To Jongin, anyways. He’s not quite ready to tell their emotionally-constipated maknae that he witnessed him having more emotions than ‘happy’ and ‘blah’. Jongin’ll know what to do. He hopes.

He corners Jongin one evening after schedules has ended. He’d carefully suggested to Joonmyun that perhaps some leader-maknae bubble tea time was in order after hearing that Baekhyun and Chanyeol had decided to go on one of their no-this-definitely-isn’t-a-date-what-are-you-talking-about-best-friends-always-go-and-eat-dinners-together-alone dates meaning that it was just him and Jongin in the dorm.

He rounds on his bandmate. “Jongin, can I talk to you?”

“Yeah sure, hyung. What’s up?”

“I heard you the other day.” He blurts out. Jongin’s eyes widen and Kyungsoo rethinks what he just said. Wait, no, that doesn’t sound right. “You and Sehun.” He tries again, and Jongin’s eyebrows shoot up into his hair. Damn it, that doesn’t sound any better. “Talking!” He clarifies hurriedly.

Jongin laughs at his embarrassment. “I knew what you were trying to say hyung.” So you just let me continue anyway? Evil brat. Kyungsoo thinks. Jongin continues; “And it’s okay, I knew you weren’t asleep.”

“What?”

“You snore.”

“I do not!” Kyungsoo squeaks.

“Nah, you’re right. It’s more of a cute snuffling sound, like a baby pig or something.”  
Kyungsoo goes to give him a thump on the arm and Jongin dances away, laughing.

“You do though!”

“Why didn’t you tell him I was awake?” Kyungsoo whines.

“And have him clam up faster than Minseok about his ‘real height’? No way.” Jongin fiddles with the corner of his t-shirt. “Have you talked to Sehun?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I thought it’d be better to talk to you first. On a scale of “quite hacked off’ to ‘will never speak to me again’ how angry will he be?”

“Pretty pissed.”

“I thought so.” Kyungsoo says despondently.

“Don’t worry, hyung. He won’t be angry with you for long – he can’t hold grudges for shit.” Jongin assures him with earnest eyes. Kyungsoo sighs.

“It’s okay. I deserve it – I shouldn’t have invaded his privacy like that.”

There’s a pause. Jongin looks over at Kyungsoo. He’s worrying his lip, something he only does when he has something to say but doesn’t know how to say it. “You know what he said, right?”

“About his face or the debuting thing?”

“Both really. You don’t think it’s true do you?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Of course not. He’s more than his face.”

“How do I make him see that though? I keep trying to tell him that but he won’t listen – like I’d lie to him to make him feel better or something.”

“You’re not like that though.”

“I know that! I thought he did too.”

“This is hurting you too, isn’t it?”

“Why doesn’t he trust me? I wouldn’t lie to him – not about something like this.”

“It’s not you, Jongin, I promise you. Look – he trusted you enough to tell you, didn’t he?”

Jongin snorts. “By accident.”

“Whose bed did he come to? He wanted to talk to you, I’m sure, or he’d have stayed away. Yes, maybe he admitted more than he’d planned, but I still think he wanted to tell you something.”

“Thanks hyung. Sometimes I just feel really useless, you know? He’s always there for me but he just won’t let me do the same for him and I don’t understand why he won’t let me. Are we really best friends? I feel like... Can you have one-sided friendship? ‘Cause that’s what it feels like sometimes.”

Kyungsoo worries his bottom lip. “Have you told him this?”

Jongin shakes his head. “I should be grateful he tells me anything at all, him being the way he is. I don’t want to pressure him.”

“Can’t you tell him that too?” Kyungsoo presses gently. “I don’t know Sehun half as well as you do, but I know he’d be upset he was making you upset.”

“Exactly!” Jongin bursts out. “That’s exactly why I don’t want to tell him! He’d feel horrible. I don’t want him to be upset because I’m being pathetic.”

Kyungsoo hums thoughtfully.

“Jongin, do you feel upset when Sehun is upset?”

“Yeah, ‘course I do. He’s my best friend.”

“And do you think that maybe Sehun’s been doing to same thing you have? That it could be that he’s not telling you things because he doesn’t want to upset you?”

Jongin looks stunned. “That… does sound like Sehun. He hates it when I’m upset.”

“So you’ll talk to him?”

“Yeah.” Jongin smiles shyly. “Thank you hyung.”

“It’s nothing, Jonginnie, really. Though if you do want to do something in gratitude…”

“Yeah?”

“Tell Sehun I was spying on him for me?”

“I’m not that grateful hyung.”

“Damn.” Kyungsoo says, but he’s smiling.

“I’ll tell him tonight. He’s always in a more receptive mood after he’s been out with Joonmyeon-hyung.”

“Good luck.”

Jongin smiles. He looks like a great weight has been lifted off him and Kyungsoo is glad.

“There’s still a few hours before the others get back. You want to watch a film or something?”

“Sure, you pick. I’ll make popcorn.”

“Salty, please.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but grabs the salty packet from the cupboard.

Xx

They’re only about twenty minutes into the film when Joonmyeon and Sehen walk in. Their cheeks and noses are pink from the cold but both are smiling as they take off their coats and gloves. Sehun immediately leans over the back of the sofa as soon as he’s hung up his coat to bury his freezing nose in the crook of Jongin’s neck. Jongin lets out a very manly squeal.

“I hate you so much.” He glares at Sehun. Sehun just snickers quietly and scampers off down the hallway. Jongin gives chase. Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo exchange looks that clearly read “it’s hard being the only grown-ups in this group” but make no move to try and stop them – they’re too used to this kind of behaviour and it’s best to pick and choose their battles, they’ve found.

“Should we step in?” Joonmyeon says exasperatedly.

“Nah,” Kyungsoo replies. “I’m sure they’ll sort themselves out.”

Joonmyeon raises an eyebrow in question, but says nothing as he flops down next to Kyungsoo on the sofa. Kyungsoo wordlessly passes him the popcorn.

Xxx

When the time comes for dinner Kyungsoo goes to fetch their two youngest members himself to make sure none of the others interrupt their heart-to-heart. He finds them curled up on Jongin’s bed, fast asleep – Sehun is the big spoon this time and they both look so adorable that he doesn’t have the heart to wake them – so instead he just carefully shuts the door behind him and ambles back to the kitchen, smiling to himself.

“Where are the gruesome twosome? Are they coming yet? I’m hungry.” Chanyeol says.

“Sleeping.” Kyunsoo takes two plates and leaves them covered in the fridge for the maknaes to heat up later.

“Together?” Baekhyun leers. He gives an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle that makes his eyebrows look like they want to escape his face and Kyungsoo has to resist rolling his eyes.

“No shipping at the dinner table.” Joonmyeon cuts in firmly. “Dinner time is family time-”

“Kinky.” Baekhyun mutters.

“ – non-incestuous family time – ”

“You have a dirty mind, Baekkie.” Chanyeol whistles in admiration.

“-so if we could just respect that-”

“Why thank you Channie.” Baekhyun replies, obviously pleased.

“-that would be lovely.” Joonmyeon finishes dejectedly. Kyungsoo pats him gently on the shoulder and gives him an extra large helping of dinner. It’s hard trying to lead a bunch of morons. Morons who apparently can turn discussing possible homoerotic band-incest (homo-ero-bandcest?) into flirting. Impressive, but disturbing. 

Xxx

The next day both maknaes seem to have a spring in their step. It could be passed off as extra energy from their impromptu nap, but Kyungsoo knows better. They’ve talked it out. Kyungsoo is glad. Now if he can only work up the courage to tell Sehun he’d been (accidently) spying on him without losing any of his limbs…

Maybe he’ll just not tell him. He looks over to where Sehun and Jongin are draped over each other on the sofa, giggling to themselves about something. He smiles. Nah, Sehun doesn’t need to know this after all.


End file.
